Washington, May 20 (V7N) — Conservative American commentator Tucker Carlson has said that Israel has lost its “conscience” and “moral standing” due to the high number of civilian casualties in recent military operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

Carlson made the remarks during an interview with Israeli media outlet Channel 13, which aired on Tuesday (May 19). It marked his first interview with an Israeli media organization in recent years.

During the interview, Carlson criticized Israel’s military campaigns against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, saying the scale of civilian deaths raises serious moral concerns.

Responding to a question defending Israel’s actions as self-defense, Carlson said his main objection was that the operations are being funded with American taxpayer money.

“We are paying for it,” Carlson said, arguing that the United States should stop providing military assistance to Israel.

He stated that while attacks carried out by Hamas are wrong, they do not justify the killing of innocent civilians in response.

Carlson also described Israel’s military response following the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, as an “overreaction,” claiming that countless civilians had been killed during the operation in Gaza.

Drawing comparisons with past American military actions after the September 11 attacks, Carlson said the United States had also made serious mistakes by causing civilian casualties during its wars.

“Killing even an innocent child is unacceptable. That is the identity of a civilized state,” he said.

During the interview, Carlson further argued that Israel cannot be considered a “full democracy” because Palestinians do not have voting rights.

When asked whether Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to genocide, Carlson said the terminology was less important than the humanitarian consequences.

“Whether you call it genocide, ethnic cleansing, crime or atrocity — the killing of innocent people is wrong,” he said.

Carlson also accused US President Donald Trump of yielding to pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, alleging that Washington became involved in the conflict because of decisions made by the Israeli leadership.

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